“Oh, you foolish woman. Did you really think we wouldn’t consider the old fool?” Lucius asked.

Lily swallowed. They could not have defeated him. No, they could not! She refused to believe it. “He will capture your Death Eaters. It doesn’t matter how many of them there are. Harry will be-” Lucius cut her off with a chuckle.

“Bring the boy.” He ordered. Lily gasped as the door opened. The room was dark before, so dark that she could barely see her surroundings. She finally saw where she was. The Aurors office. The head auror’s room, specifically. The papers and reports of death eaters still laid there, strewn across every table and the floor.

But it was Harry that drew her attention. The black hair, green eyes. It couldn’t be! But it was. How could a mother not know the face of her son? He was sleeping, or stunned. That much she was thankful for. Oh, what would she do? What could she do?

“You’re probably wondering how we managed to catch him. The ministry attack was a diversion. A trap for Dumbledore. Did you really think the Dark Lord would come himself to deal with you imbeciles? Don’t flatter yourself. The old coot was clever though, I’ll give him that. He caught himself in his own mistake halfway and hurried back to his castle.” Lucius’ ugly grin split his face.

“But when he got back it was too late. The fool actually went to save the children first. Children! Wizards and witches still in training instead of the boy who lived! To think there were those of us who questioned the Dark Lord when he ordered hostages be taken. Oh, he saved them, of course. The death eaters were no match for him, much as I hate to admit it. But by then we had already taken your son here.” He sneered, raising his wand.

Harry snapped awake. His eyes were cloudy and confused. He focused on her as soon as he saw her though. “Mommy?” He asked. “Mommy! It’s the Death Eaters! Run!” He screamed, struggling against his bonds. How she wanted to take him and run. But of course, wishes changed nothing.

Lily’s scream died in her throat as she felt the cold. It was as if the warmth had been sucked out of the air. Dementors came, robed spirits gliding across the fallen papers of the office as they hissed. Lily felt numb as memories flashed through her head. It was Harry, crying for her in the fire. James, falling as Voldemort struck him down. It took too long for her to find her voice again.

“No! No! Please, he’s just a child! A child! Please, let him go! Don’t do this.” She begged, tears streaming down her face.

“Now, now, don’t get hasty here. We’re not handing him over to the dementors. That will be for later. Until then, Crucio!” Harry’s eyes began glowing as his body spasmed. Lily watched in horror as his body jerked, his eyes full of pain. He gritted his teeth. But he didn’t cry out. Not for her, not for mercy. But she felt no pride in the moment, only despair.

Lucius frowned. “Not ordinary, I’ll admit that. The boy took down five of us with killing curses. We needed an entire circle to find and subdue him. Seems like his capacity to resist torture is no less impressive. But we can’t have that, can we?”

Five death eaters, Harry? That couldn’t be true. But she believed him, every word of it. Seeing the boy who struggled against his bindings right now, fighting the cruciatus curse, Lily knew he was anything but ordinary. As if she didn’t know already.

Another ray of light flashed, and Harry’s eyes widened. Silent tears began dripping down his face, and his mouth opened to cry out. But no sound came out. Lucius frowned. “Well, let’s see if his teacher has any of his fortitude, shall we?” At his words, another body was dragged out.

Lily found herself too horase to scream. The body belonged to Severus.

His face was marred with scars, too numerous for her to count. Where his lower body should have been a clean slice had cut him. It was too clean to be magical. A knife? The thought made her want to vomit. He stirred as Lucius pointed his wand, croaking something she couldn’t hear. He choked, and only then did she realize he had no strength left to scream. It was the Cruciatus curse, again.

“It appears that my old friend retains his tolerance for pain. But then, using that was never the plan.” He waved at the dementors.

“No… no!” Lily gasped. “Please, I’ll sign, I’ll sign, I’ll sign right now.”

Lucius curled his lip. “Will you now? That’s good. But these two, they killed death eaters. The Dark Lord doesn’t want them dead. But some punishment won’t hurt. Well, they won’t scar, but they will hurt. A lot.”

Lily didn’t know what was more haunting. The rattling laughs of the dementors, or the ecstatic one of Lucius Mafloy.